Indianapolis 500: Can Dario Franchitti Make it ‘Four at 40′?

When the 97th Indianapolis 500 begins just after noon today, Dario Franchitti will be fighting for his fourth win in what is often called the “greatest spectacle in racing.” Victory would put him in the company of the sport’s legends. Only A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser Sr. have won the big race four times.

But Franchitti is in an uphill battle, starting from the 17th spot in the 33-car field after a lackluster qualifying run. He is also having a rough year. While he is among the most successful IndyCar drivers in history, wins have been rare lately. Indeed, he hasn’t won a race since last year’s Indy 500.

The veteran racer is also faces personal challenges. In January he and his wife of 11 years, the actress Ashley Judd, announced they would divorce. And earlier this month Franchitti turned 40.

Still, Franchitti is especially adept at winning the 500, which is a test of endurance, patience and strategy as much as raw speed and nerve. He started from the middle of the pack before winning last year. He also won in 2007 and 2010.

Now that he has reached an advanced age for open-wheel racing drivers, there have been rumblings about retirement, though Franchitti has said many time she has no such plans.

He won’t be alone in going for a fourth Indy 500 win. Longtime rival Helio Castroneves also has three wins and starts today from the third row on the grid. Franchitti shares row six with team mate Scott Dixon and Takuma Sato, the two drivers he fought with for the win last year.

Other notable subplots in the race include the speedy Marco Andretti, grandson of Mario Andretti, who won the race in 1969 but was otherwise plagued by bad luck at the Brickyard. His father, longtime racer Michael, also had a rough time at Indy. Can Marco break the so-called Andretti curse?

There are four women in this year’s 500, which is an unusually high number. Look for Simona de Silvestro to run well after showing significant speed in practice sessions and earlier this season. Ana Beatriz, Pippa Mann and Katherine Legge are also in the field.

Finally, actor Jim Nabors of Gomer Pyle fame returns to sing “Back Home Again in Indiana” — a pre-race tradition for decades. He missed last year’s race because of heart surgery.